A check is a negotiable instrument instructing a financial institution to pay a specific amount of a specific currency from a specified transactional account held in the account holder's name with that financial institution. Typically, the transactional account is a checking account with a bank where the account holder's fund was previously deposited. As such, a check is a document (such as a piece of paper) that orders a payment of fund (i.e., money) from the checking account. Throughout this disclosure, the term “check” specifically refers to a paper check. Since the check is used to withdraw the fund for making a payment, the account holder is referred to as the drawer or payer. The check usually includes imprinted information such as bank and checking account details, payer's name and contact information (e.g., address, phone number, etc.), as well as a template order to pay fund. The payer, or an authorized third party, writes various payment details (e.g., amount, date, and a payee) on the check where the payer signs to create an executed check. Prior to the check being written with such payment details and signature, it is referred to as an unused check or a blank check. Essentially, the template order imprinted on the unused check to pay fund becomes a specific order on the executed check for the payer's bank, referred to as the drawee, to pay the payee the amount of money written on the check. Both the payer and payee may be natural persons or legal entities.
Unused checks may be issued (i.e., provided) to the payer by the financial institution where the checking account is held, or by other check ordering services. The conventional way of ordering checks is time-consuming, and error-prone.